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ORC-20

The Open Token Standard for Bitcoin Ordinals

Enhancing BRC-20 with UTXO-based security, double-spend prevention, flexible token economics, and backward compatibility — inscribed on the world's most secure blockchain.

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⊕ Backed by Bitcoin ⊛ 5 Core Operations ◈ BRC-20 Compatible ◉ UTXO Security Model ⊕ Double-Spend Prevention ⊛ Open Standard ◈ Developer Incentives ◉ Fair Minting Support ⊕ Backed by Bitcoin ⊛ 5 Core Operations ◈ BRC-20 Compatible ◉ UTXO Security Model ⊕ Double-Spend Prevention ⊛ Open Standard ◈ Developer Incentives ◉ Fair Minting Support
The Protocol

What is ORC-20?

An open token standard inscribed on Bitcoin's most secure, decentralized layer — extending BRC-20 with the power and safety of the UTXO model.

Born from Bitcoin Ordinals

ORC-20 tokens are JSON files inscribed on individual satoshis via the Ordinals protocol. Unlike BRC-20, ORC-20 leverages Bitcoin's native UTXO model to prevent double spending — a critical flaw that plagued earlier token standards.

Backward Compatible

Existing BRC-20 tokens can be migrated to ORC-20 through a wrapper ordinal, preserving functionality while gaining improved adaptability, scalability, and security guarantees.

Experimental protocol
Open standard
BRC-20 bridge
inscription #1337
{
"p": "orc-20",
"op": "deploy",
"tick": "ORCS",
"max": "21000000",
"lim": "1000",
"ug": "true"
}
Inscribed on sat #2107624 Confirmed
The Five Runes

Core Operations

Every ORC-20 token can be controlled through five primitive inscriptions.

op: "deploy"

Deploy

Establish a new ORC-20 token with configurable supply, mint limits, and upgrade permissions.

op: "mint"

Mint

Generate new tokens up to the per-mint limit. Supports fair launch mechanics.

op: "send"

Transfer

Move ORC-20 tokens between addresses using the UTXO model to prevent double spending.

op: "burn"

Burn

Permanently remove tokens from circulation to support deflationary token economics.

op: "upgrade"

Upgrade

Modify token parameters — supply caps, mint limits — when upgrade flag is enabled.

Protocol Strengths

Why ORC-20?

A hardened, flexible standard built on lessons learned from BRC-20's early limitations.

🔐

UTXO Security

Inherits Bitcoin's battle-tested Unspent Transaction Output model, eliminating the double-spend vulnerabilities that affected BRC-20 tokens.

🔄

BRC-20 Compatible

Fully backward compatible with BRC-20. Existing tokens can migrate through a wrapper ordinal without losing functionality.

📄

Multi-Format Support

Supports a wider range of JSON data formats than BRC-20, enabling richer token metadata and more complex inscription structures.

Developer Incentives

A decentralized, optional mechanism allowing developers to capture 500+ satoshis per transaction by modifying transfer addresses — preserving user choice.

📈

Flexible Economics

Native support for deflationary and inflationary mechanics, stablecoins, staking, initial token offerings, and inter-token asset interchange.

🌐

Open Standard

Fully open protocol governed by OrcDAO. No gatekeepers, no permission needed — anyone can deploy ORC-20 tokens on Bitcoin.

Technical Reference

How It Works

Each ORC-20 operation is a JSON inscription on a satoshi. Here are the five inscription patterns.

Deploy
// Establish a new ORC-20 token
{
"p" : "orc-20",
"op" : "deploy",
"tick" : "ORCS",
"max" : "21000000",
"lim" : "1000",
"ug" : "true"
}
Mint
// Generate tokens up to limit
{
"p" : "orc-20",
"op" : "mint",
"tick" : "ORCS",
"amt" : "1000",
"id" : "1"
}
Transfer
// Move tokens to another address
{
"p" : "orc-20",
"op" : "send",
"tick" : "ORCS",
"amt" : "500",
"id" : "1"
}
Burn
// Permanently remove from supply
{
"p" : "orc-20",
"op" : "burn",
"tick" : "ORCS",
"amt" : "100",
"id" : "1"
}
Applications

What You Can Build

ORC-20's flexible primitives unlock a wide range of Bitcoin-native token applications.

Fair Minting

Equal-access token launches with per-mint limits ensuring no single entity can dominate the initial supply.

Deflationary Tokens

Burn-enabled tokens that decrease in supply over time, creating scarcity mechanics on Bitcoin.

Inflationary Tokens

Flexible supply tokens with upgrade capabilities for adaptive monetary policy.

Stablecoins

Stable-value tokens inscribed on Bitcoin, leveraging the most secure blockchain for collateral.

Initial Offerings

Launch tokens with structured distribution mechanics for projects building on Bitcoin Ordinals.

BRC-20 Bridge

Seamlessly migrate existing BRC-20 tokens to ORC-20 via wrapper ordinals, gaining UTXO security.

Start Building
on Bitcoin

Deploy your first ORC-20 token today. Read the documentation, join OrcDAO, and inscribe your vision on the world's most secure blockchain.

ORC-20 is an experimental protocol. There is no guarantee that tokens created with this standard will have any value or utility. Do your own research before participating.